Welcome to “My Cherished Thoughts”

Hi everyone! My name is Cherish and I would like to thank you for taking the time to visit my new blog. “My Cherished Thoughts” is simply an honest reflection of personal challenges faced, aiming to promote self-improvement through the utilization of self-awareness.
 
After leaving my small town to embark on an amazing eye-opening adventure at Louisiana State University, the brim reality of life's ups and downs hit me like a ton of bricks. This is truly the time period in my life where I was taught monumental lessons, sparking the creation of this blog.

Throughout my undergraduate and graduate experiences, I managed to deal with numerous issues such as: family drama, financial issues, difficulty making new friends, partying too much, and doubting if I’d chosen the right major. Oh, and not to mention my terrible dating experiences — like the time when I almost found myself on MTV's Catfish the TV Show, or even the time when this guy kicked me out of his apartment for refusing to give "it" up. — Whew chile, that's a blog post for another day, but trust me we will get there.

Although my life is a lot more drama free, it’s important to note that even years later I currently have various areas in my life that I am working on improving — from financial stability, to dating, to finding my purpose in life. No matter what stage of life you're in, I have learned that there will always be some form of a new obstacle to overcome, which is ultimately just an opportunity for personal growth.

Let me be honest and clear — I am scared of putting my past and even current challenges out in the open and failing, hence the long hesitation in starting this blog. I've spent countless hours wondering why I would even expose the juicy contents of my life…well I think they are "juicy,” but what if everyone else thinks it’s boring and dry?
 
I also thought about the consequences of being vulnerable to the world, as well as the potential negative criticism I may receive for voicing my lessons learned and for my writing skills, or lack thereof. I also thought, “Maybe it’s bad to self-reflect,” but in actuality, it’s essential to do so in order to:
 

1. Prevent the cycle of making the same mistakes: being a repeat offender can be damaging to your psyche and self-esteem.
2. Gain a sense of humbleness and gratefulness for the progress made and lessons learned.
3. Inspire and give hope to those that may be going through some of the same challenges.

See, I came up with a million excuses for why I should not start writing and sharing my challenges with others, strictly due to fear. Throughout my spiritual journey, I have learned that our biggest enemies can be our irrational thinking patterns, self-doubt, and the act of being too complacent.

That is why it’s important to renew our minds and even get in the habit of making daily positive affirmations. It is also essential to follow the desires of your heart by pushing yourself to not only write down your goals, but to take the necessary steps to accomplish them. Although it is a lifelong battle, choosing to operate in FAITH instead of FEAR is how I truly believe we can reach our potential.

My hope with writing this blog is to share my experiences that are probably quite similar, fostering one of those best feelings -- the “you're not alone” feeling. And since we are being honest, another reason for blogging is because it’s personally therapeutic and a healthy way to cope with my feelings.

By expressing a little humor, heartbreak, and pure transparency, I yearn for my stories to bring you hope. One thing for certain is that we only get one life to live, so you better make it count. Learn to cherish your personal journey to reaching your full potential. Once again, welcome to My Cherished Thoughts!

I want to hear from you!

​Have you ever experienced a time where you had to take a leap of faith over fear? ...What are your suggestions for future blog posts? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below! XOXOXO